Aw crap this is embarassing.After alerting the entire known world that I had been accepted for publication, I did a little research on this company and saw that they have a terrible reputation - they take money from first time writers for a "publicist's fee" and pocket it, then crank out a few copies of your book and expect you to do all the marketing. None of their works wind up in bookstores. I am glad I looked into it before I signed their contract - now I have to keep on searching for someone who will actually send ME money, instead of the other way around.!

Sorry to hear that, Indy. Yes, you have to beware of those vanity presses that charge you a fee to publish.

If you decide to self-publish, look into Amazon's CreateSpace. I use them for my 366 Yearbooks and even for some DVDs. They print on demand (softcover only, I think) and split royalties 50/50. They may charge a very small and reasonable proofing fee (i.e. the wholesale cost of printing a sample + shipping) but they often waive it.

Ah, yes. Stay away from those who want to capitalize on your magnificent beard perm.

You might consider giving your book away for free. It takes a bit of self-promotion and web-savvy, but if people like you're book, they want to give you money.

You talked about John Dies At the End in a recent post. That book was originally released for free on the internet. It got enough attention to get a crappy publishing deal. Then it got enough attention to get a better publishing deal. Then it got enough attention to be made into a feature film.

The internet has changed the game. You really don't need a publisher anymore, although they help quite a bit. If you have a product (your book) that people like, you can easily make it available.

Logged

Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them. It gets up and kills. The people it kills, get up and kill.